Ok let’s be real here, the live action release of Disney’s Mulan is HUGE. Not only because Mulan is one of Disney’s most beloved titles but also because we’re Asian and the movie is yet another cultural win for us. Remember how big Crazy Rich Asians was for.. well, Asians everywhere? Mulan is most definitely in the same stature.
Sadly, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the title has seen delay after delay and it can get pretty frustrating, especially if you’ve been following the production from the very beginning. There is good news however! Disney has finally announced a new release date for the movie, and it’s soon! After close to six months of delays, Mulan will now play in theatres nationwide starting on the 4th of September.
That being said though, there’s a reason we’re getting a theatrical release in spite of the pandemic still being in full swing and its because Disney+ has yet to arrive on our shores. You see, for the people in the US, they’re going to have to fork out US$30 to see the movie on Disney+
That’s a lot of money! Disney seems to be done waiting for the pandemic to subside and is now banking on a new distribution model for its blockbuster movies. On the one hand, 30 dollars is a hell of a lot of money to watch a movie that’ll eventually become available on the service anyway. On the other hand, once you pay the 30 dollars, the movie is yours to watch and rewatch as many times as you want (as long as you’re a paid subscriber to Disney+).
The 30 dollar price to digitally purchase the film is both really expensive and really worth it at the same time. How is that so? Well, if you’re like me and stay on your own then it makes zero sense but if you have a family of four or five, 30 dollars is actually cheaper than going to the cinema.
So, does this mark the death of movie theatres? It’s too soon to say, really. Disney putting Mulan on their streaming platform may seem like a last resort but depending on how well it does, it could actually mark a new normal for how they release titles in the future.
